L'Homme de Coeur

L'Homme de Coeur is the final Divine sample from my discovery set, ending things on a high. Divine's masculines are consistently excellent, if nothing groundbreaking, and HdC is no different - in fact, it is my favourite. HdC is a quietly impressive scent that can be summed up as a fresh, aromatic woody scent featuring a great use of iris note at its heart and ambergris in the base. It is made with high-quality, realistic-smelling materials, and is breezily elegant, as is typical for this house. It feels Creed-like in style, initially remaining me a little of Green Irish Tweed, but it is likely due to the high-quality ambergris note, as @alkemi below points out. HdC opens with a bracing, green aromatic accord with a prominent juniper note up top. Reminiscent of a refreshing gin and tonic, it is airy and green-tinged with a fleeting boozy edge. The pine-like cypress adds to the green freshness of the opening. The angelica follows, adding a bitter herbal quality, and I get ambergris early on, its salty muskiness rounding out the bright freshness of the opening. It brings to mind a marine scent here, as the salt forms a seaweed-like effect alongside the angelica. As it develops, lightweight, powdery iris emerges, a seamless progression from the fresh, aromatic opening. More shimmering than truly powdery, it is the perfect addition here, adding subtle refinement. The amber accord lingers, becoming increasingly musky as it dries down, with the salty ambergris note lingering. I get some soft, dry vetiver, adding a woody edge as it fades, melding nicely with the musky-iris drydown. Sillage and longevity are moderate. It reads as very masculine to my nose, but without being harsh or obnoxious - a remarkable feat in modern perfumery. It is best worn on spring/summer days, thanks to its airy freshness. HdC is an utterly elegant, everyday scent that feels self-assured despite its subtlety. Masterfully composed, this is deceptively simple and compelling throughout, quietly luxurious while being immensely impressive. A freshie with depth and refinement. 5/5.

L'Homme de Coeur is my favorite Divine fragrance, and it's also the most subtle of the men's. The opening is lightly coniferous and herbaceously spicy with a pronounced Iris note. The Iris is cool and clean but it stops short of being too sharp. The Iris is the main focus of the scent and it lasts almost all the way through the dry down. Within the first hour some woodiness from the base starts to glow, propping up the Iris note even more. When the Amber and Vetyver join the mix, the Amber makes an Amber-Iris accord that is almost incense-like, and the Vetyver gives the scent a light raw earthiness. These new accords are well behaved and stay in the background. The description I got with my sample says there is also Liatrix and Musk. I learned that Liatrix is an oriental note based on the Deer's Tongue plant's leaves, and has a Vanilla-like aroma because the leaves contain crystals of coumarin. It's not Musky to me. L'Homme de Coeur comes in an EDP and the longevity is very good. After six hours it is still there, it has moved in closer but still very much present. If you like comparisons, then this Iris is something like Infusion d'Homme's but it's not as sharp. Two very different takes on the Iris. L'Homme de Coeur is one of the best lighter scents I've ever tried.

If you're looking for something stunning or obstentately opulent you should better avoid L'Homme De Coeur. Instead, if discreet elegance and refinement is what you're after I guess you could really be positively surprised by this composition. A serious contendant, or at least an alternative, to the most popular Dior Homme (to me there is no match between the two as I largely prefer this one over the Dior but that's another point). Iris, woody notes and juniper are the main ingredients of this concotion and are actually enough to create a perfectly balanced blend that easily stands at the top of this kind of fragrances together with the most popular names. The overall effect is the same of listening to a singer with one of those faint voices but with an unmistakeable vpoiceprint. A sort of mascuilne version of Peggy Lee. L'Homme De Coeur is a good example of a contemporary masterpiece aimed at everyday's wearing and still maintaining an incredible dose of uniqueness. Subtile perfection. Rating: 8.5 leaning to 9/10

L'Homme de Coeur is a quiet refined gentlemanly scent that sits at the intersection of two great perfumery traditions. The suede opening quickly gives way to Guerlain-like depth as angelica and green notes create a phantom chocolatey accord atop a bed of vetiver. It is warm, confident and subtly sweet- reminding me at times of Guerlain's L'Homme Ideal EDT's gentle brother. The ambergris lends a more airy quality to the profile with a slight saltiness. As a composition, it is very well done. It has this dichotomy of that Creed naturalistic airiness and Guerlain's architectural darkness. The only limitation for me could also be seen as it's strength which is that of projection: it sits very close to the skin which makes it a more intimate, personal fragrance than a statement piece. For those who appreciate that quiet sophistication however, this will not disappoint! Rating: 8/10 Wearability: 8/10 Projection: Soft Longevity: Long Lasting

The scent is hard to describe as it's not exactly green or floral or woody. But if I had to choose one I would say green, particularly in the beginning. Not truly powdery either. But rather like sparkling dust in a Dune (the movie) spice kinda way. I'm not an iris fan and this is not an iris dominated fragrance. It's a proper composition of different notes blended to create something greater than its parts. Deceptively lingering presence too. I will echo the sentiment that this is one classy and elegant scent. What I will add is that it is amazing in hot summer weather. (But great anytime, casual or formal.) The dry down with ambergris note gives me major Creed vibes. Once I forgot what I was wearing and was instantly reminded of Creed MI when I picked up on its presence at the end of the day. An exceptional and underrated gem. BTW, can we please update the photo to the metallic case which is practical and awesome. 😎 Rating - 8.5/10